MICE chapter 5

CONVENTIONS

Convention

is an event where the primary activity of the attendees is to attend educational sessions, participate in meetings/discussions, socialize or attend other organized events. There is a secondary exhibit component.

conference

is a participatory meeting designed for discussion, factfinding, problem solving and consultation. It is an event used by any organization to meet and exchange views, convey a message, open a debate or give publicity to some area of opinion on a specific issue. No tradition, continuity or periodicity is required to convene a conference. Although not generally limited in time, conferences are usually of short duration with specific objectives. Conferences are generally on a smaller scale than congresses.

Conference centers

are facilities specifically built to offer an atmosphere for people who meet to exchange ideas with ease and comfort.

Convention centers

on the other hand, are facilities for meeting and expositions without sleeping rooms.

Hotels

are facilities provide sleeping rooms, meetings spaces and function rooms, food & beverage and other amenities and can provide up to certain level of service for conferences, as its core driver is room sales, not meeting spaces.

Spacious

The venue must be big enough to comfortably accommodate a large number of guests and attendees, as many corporate events are attended by a huge number of people.

Location

The hotel must be advantageously located in or near the heart of the city and the conference venue must be well connected to the airport, railway stations, etc.

Ambience

The venue must offer a chic and professional ambience, with impeccable service and elegant décor, in order to impress the visitors and attendees.

Facilities

A good conference venue must offer state of the art amenities such as adequate lighting, ventilation, 100% power backup, space for exhibits, lounge areas and outdoor space.

Technology

the conference venue or meeting room must meet the technical business needs of most industries. It should provide audio visual equipment, Wi Fi, computers, etc.

Serve

Excellent, friendly service and catering facilities are also important factors that the best conference venues must take care of.

A symposium

is a conference that focuses on academic or scientific information. They often associate it with entertainment.

A workshop

is a more practical based conference where they take a hands-on approach and attendees get to take part and receive first hand coaching

A seminar

can be educational oriented lectures or presentations on a particular topic. There can be multiple speakers but often only one. They are commercial in nature.

1. A Brief Introduction of the Organization

The conference program should at least have a brief introduction that will tell the people who are going to attend or planning to attend as to what your organization does and what it plans to do. The only things that should tell the people who are going to attend the conference is the name of your organization, when it was founded, what its smart goals are, and its major achievements.

2. The Speakers

A conference is an event where a lot of formal discussions are going to take place. Naturally, that would mean there are going to be a couple of speakers that will be talking about a number of serious topics towards an audience. Since there are speakers, the people who are going to be attending their discussions will want to know more about them; the reason for which is because they might just want to guarantee that the speaker is one who knows what he or she is talking about.

By Purpose Congresses

are usually to inform, communicate and provide opportunities to debate different issues.

By Purpose Conferences

are used to inform and to reach conclusions or decisions for issues introduced.

By Purpose Conventions

, on the other hand, are mainly held to organize, inform, motivate, communicate, debate or vote.

By Number of Participants

Conferences are usually smaller in nature when compared to conventions and congresses.

By Frequency

Conventions are usually held annually, whereby congresses can be held annually, semi-annually or even on an ad-hoc basis. Conferences have established and fixed schedules with a frequency that varies depending on each association.

Planning

The very first step is to establish goals and objectives and in doing so distinguish between objectives of attendees, meeting professionals and the host organization.

Marketing the convention

This task is heart of the convention as it focuses on targeting the right group of attendees, speakers and sponsors by using the right approach in the right place at the right time.

A marketing plan for convention requires extensive market research to shape an impeccable and compelling action plan and should not only be geared towards delegates but also potential sponsors, suppliers and exhibitors as well.

HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM MARKETING STRATEGIES

Conference room hotels compete with other venues offering conference rooms, such as conference centers, universities and venues for exhibits. Therefore, it is important to establish a marketing plan that targets the right type of conference organizer and reflects the hotel's unique advantages. The best hotel conference room marketing strategies will ensure that your conference rooms are fully booked year round by a group of organizers who are happy to regularly rebook the facilities.

Build Relationships

with conference organizers is a key element of all conference room marketing strategies. Conference organizers can become regular clients if they feel that your facilities are suitable. Conference organizers work in the marketing departments of large companies that have a busy schedule of conferences and other events. They also work in companies specializing in event management.

Information

Another important marketing strategy is to provide comprehensive venue information that is easy for organizers to find. Include information on your location, rates, meeting facilities, room capacity, conference services, catering, travel and accommodation on your website. Include keywords in the text that highlight your location to help organizers who are searching for meeting facilities in your area.

Promote Meetings

The rising cost of business travel and the increased use of videoconferencing have had a serious impact on the conference industry. To try to rebuild business for the industry, the Convention Industry Council recommends running marketing campaigns based on the theme “Face Time. It Matters," a program designed to promote the benefits of meeting face-to-face. Contact local companies to explain the benefits of holding meetings in a dedicated conference facility, rather than on their own premises. Stress the presentation and catering facilities available at your hotel. Explain how delegates can concentrate on the meeting without distraction from colleagues at the office.

Collaborate

If the hotel is located in a town or city that has other event venues, such as an exhibition hall or an outdoor center, offer the organizers the use of meeting rooms when they are staging an event. Some exhibition halls may not have rooms suitable for small meetings or larger conferences. As part of the package, you can also offer event delegates exclusive discounted rates for accommodation.